Food, Recipe, and Activity of the Week - April 19, 2009
This week's features include:
Food - Avocado
Recipe - Rainbow veggie pocket
Activity - Tennis
History
The avocado was first introduced into the European diet by Hernando Cortez in 1519. Cortez was a Spanish soldier who travelled to Mexico City and found that the avocado was a staple in the Mexican diet. In 1526, a conquistador historian wrote of the avocado saying it had a texture like butter and a very good taste. The avocado is native to the lands of Central America and Mexico and even spans into parts of northern South America and Peru. However, thanks to Carl Schmidt, the state of California has now become the largest producer of avocados, producing about 95% of the world’s avocados!
Back in 1911, twenty-one-year-old Carl Schmidt was sent to Mexico by the West Indian Nursery in Altadena, California to research which avocado trees would be most able to withstand the California weather and soil. Schmidt found the Fuerte tree to be the hardiest, thriving through the great California freeze in 1913. Since then, California became a large producer of avocados. The state of Florida is also a large producer of avocados as well.
The original name given to the avocado by the Aztecs was ahuacatl. However, it has different names if you travel to different parts of the world. For instance Chile, Peru, and Ecuador refer to the avocado as Palta. In West Africa, it is known as custard apple in France, avocat, and in Spain, abogado. Historians believe that most of these names came about by trying to phonetically pronounce the Aztec name ahuacatl.
And by the way, did you know that an avocado is actually a fruit and not a vegetable?
Adapted from the California Avocado Commission
Nutrition
You may have heard that avocados are bad for you due to their high fat content, but this is not true. A one ounce serving of avocado contains 5 grams of fat, the majority of which is monounsaturated. Studies have shown that small amounts of monounsaturated fats in the diet can decrease the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Avocados are a great source of monounsaturated fat along with olive and canola oils. However, it is important to keep in mind that sources of monounsaturated fats are still high in calories and should be consumed in moderation.
Avocados are also a great source of potassium. One whole avocado contains approximately 60% more potassium than one banana. Potassium is important in keeping the heart and blood vessels healthy because it helps lower blood pressure.
Nutrient Analysis of a 1 ounce serving (or 1/8) of an avocado: calories: 50, fat: 5g, saturated fat: <1g, monounsaturated fat: 3g, polyunsaturated fat: <1g, protein: <1g, carbohydrate: 2g, cholesterol: 0g, sodium: 3mg, potassium: 180mg, fiber: 1g
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup avocado, sliced
- 1 cup jicima, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fat free ranch dressing
- 4 tablespoons salsa
- 2 (6 1/2 inch) whole wheat pitas
- 1 cup fresh Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup frozen yellow corn, thawed
- 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
Instructions:
- Tip to pit avocado: Hold avocado in hand. Slice in half lengthwise circling knife around pit. Use both hands to make a half turn and separate avocado from pit. Carefully scoop pit out with large spoon
Using a large spoon, scoop the avocado half away from the skin, keeping half in tact
- Slice avocado into thin pieces, lengthwise
- Peel jicima and slice into 1” thin pieces
- Combine ranch dressing and salsa in small bowl to make a sauce
- Cut pita in half and spread 2 tablespoons sauce on inside of each pita half
- Layer equal amounts of avocado, tomato slices, jicima and corn into pita half
- Top pita with 1 tablespoon of sliced olives
Nutrition Information: 254 calories, 9 grams total fat, 40 grams carbohydrate, 9 gram protein, 9 grams fiber, 436 milligrams sodium, 2.5 milligrams cholesterol
Recipe is modified from the Fruits and Veggies More Matters website. For more recipes and access to the recipe’s full nutritional profile, www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org
Remember the battles between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe in the 1970s, or the constant battle between the Williams sisters in the late1990's? You do not have to be a professional tennis player to enjoy tennis. Tennis is great recreational sport for all ages. Children as young as 2 years old, to seniors over 90 years of age can play the game. It is not only a great form of exercise it is also a game of fun.
If you have never played tennis, it is never too late to start. Gather people your age and take a group lesson at you nearest tennis facility. Many facilities provide racquet rental, all you need to bring is shoes, clothes, and a good spirit.
Tennis is an individual sport where recreation and competition is available at any age. Tournaments are held for the competitive, and social events are held for the recreational exercisers.
The sport stimulates most muscle groups in your body and the better you become, the harder the workout. As an example, a 150 lb recreational tennis player burns 444 kcal/hour, whereas a competitive player at the same weight burns almost 600 kcal/hour. However, most importantly you are having fun.